Life of a Branning
by Soaplover05
Summary: Being a Branning is tough, especially for eighteen year old Lauren. Now her life seems to be going good, she has the love of her lie Joey and her family. Now with her mums secret and the arrival of her uncle Derek, will everything ever be the same? or will she be driven to do something she regrets? Back before Tanya and Max splitting up and Tanya leaving.
1. Chapter 1

"Everything alight mum?", Lauren asked walking out the back door of her house and finding her mum sitting on the step sobbing.

Tanya sat up and wiped her tears away. Not in a million years did she want Lauren to see her like this. So vulnerable and helpless and all because of the news she had earlier that day.

"I'm ok love, seriously. Don't be worrying about your old mum and get back inside, it's freezing. You'll catch your death if your not careful" Tanya said putting on a brave face and trying to hide the pain.

Lauren wasn't stupid. You could call her a lot of things: selfish, unreliable, immature but stupid was not one of them. She knew her mum, probably better than anyone else. Better than her dad or her younger sister Abi or her little brother Oscar. No Lauren got her mum, Lauren was almost the complete clone of her mum only in a teenage, stroppy form. They were best-friends one minute and sworn enemies the next. Lauren knew something was up and she didn't care how long or hard it may be, she had to find out.

"Fine", Lauren said standing up and pretending she believed her mum's words. "I'm away back inside, don't stay out for too long now mum"

Tanya turned to her smiling, only it wasn't a happy smile, "I will be in soon darling, I just need some fresh air that's all"

Lauren began to walk in the door but turned around as Tanya began to speak again. "Lauren, I love you, you know"

This confused Lauren. She had no idea what was going on.

"Hmm, I love you too mum", Lauren shrugged her shoulders and stepped inside leaving Tanya alone outside.

...

Lauren rose out of her bed, after a sleepless night. Too many thoughts circled her brain for her to get any sleep. Why was her mum so upset, was it her dad? Did he have another affair again? No he wouldn't put her mum through that again, not after last time. Well was it Cora then? Lauren's maternal grandmother who's only two vices in life were alcohol and cigarettes. Maybe they had a row again about Cora's critical views on her children or Ava, the long lost daughter of Cora's and who Tanya had managed to track down behind Cora's back. Lauren knew that after the whole Ava plan backfired, Cora had sworn never to talk to Tanya again. Maybe this was why Tanya was upset, because she missed her mum.

"Lauren are you ok?", Abi said standing in the doorway, peering at Lauren who was just staring into space.

Abi. The young naive younger sister of Lauren's. She was fifteen, three years younger than Lauren and was always handing out her advice where it was not needed. Abi had got it into her head than Lauren was an alcoholic and that she could change her ways. This was not the case though.

Lauren was eighteen years old. She liked a drink as every other eighteen year old did. She liked to go out with her friends and let her hair down once in a while, or maybe a bit too much. It took the edge of things, allowing her to escape from normality for a while. Living the life of a Branning was never easy. The family was never less of a drama that was for sure. Over the years of living on the square the Brannings's had gained a reputation for themselves and not always a good one. From her dad affair with Lauren's half-brother's wife Stacey and then the death of Lauren's half-brother Bradley. Also when her mum got together with Jack, the younger brother of Max, Lauren's dad but their relationship lasted all of ten minutes when Tanya realised she couldn't live without 'her precious Max'. The whole square was filled up with Brannings old and new. The Branning's were always getting up to something from her cousin Bianca assaulting a police officer or her Auntie Suzie conning the local bad boy then doing a runner with his money.

"Abi... do you think everything's ok you know with mum and dad?", Lauren asked turning to her.

"Yeah I think so, why do you ask?", Abi looked intrigued.

"I dunno. There's something not right I found mum crying outside last night. There's something not right Abi, I can feel it in my bones"

"That's probably the alcohol poison travelling through your blood and making it's way to the heart where it will strike and you'll immediately die", Abi was always over dramatic.

"Abi just shut up yeah, you don't know what it's like"

"I do you drink all the time and come in stumbling all over the place in the early hours of the morning. You wake Oscar up and it upsets mum. You have the perfect life don't ruin it"

"You don't know nothing right so shut your gob! I need to escape from this nightmare of a life Abi. I need to forget so I can enjoy myself. You think I have the perfect life? Well I don't. You are the princess of the family, everyone running after either your or Prince Oscar while I just sit and get criticised and insulted. You think I want to go out and get wasted every night Abi?", Lauren stopped as she saw her mum in the doorway looked shocked.

"Abi go downstairs and help your dad make breakfast", Tanya said, her eyes not leaving Lauren once.

"But I ..."

"Abi go!"

Abi ran downstairs and Tanya slowly entered her room and made her way over to Lauren's bed where she sat. She looked at Lauren with the same sad eyes, Lauren had encountered the previous night.

"Darling you don't feel like that do you", Tanya asked anxiously.

"Well yeah or I would never had said it. I don't feel part of your little family. It's like I'm always forgotten about until you need someone to criticise. I don't even fit in"

"That's not true and you know it Lauren. How do you not fit in?"

"Well for instance, you Abi and Oscar have blonde hair whereas dad has red hair and thats what Bradley used to have. I know Bradley wasn't your kid but he fitted in more than me"

"Your hairs beautiful",Tanya smiled stroking Lauren's dark straightened hair."You are a Branning babe, like or not"

"Mum what's wrong with you?", Lauren asked looking at her.

Tanya squirmed, "Nothings wrong darling, anyway I need to go. The salons not going to run all by itself will it?

Tanya stood up in a panic and made her way for the door as fast as her legs could take her.

"Wait. Mum!", Lauren said calling after her.

Tanya turned around, "What is it darling?"

"There is something wrong mum. I know there is because I know you and when there's something wrong. I'm warning you now, no matter how hard you try to keep your little secret, I will find out. So I suggest you tell me before I find out for myself. I'm good at those things remember, who was it that found out about dads affair or told you gran had Ava? I will find out and soon and there's nothing you can do about it so I'll give you till tonight to rethink your options. Bye mum have a nice day", Lauren said staring at her and in a blunt tone.

Tanya swallowed trying to figure out something to do. She knew Lauren would find out. She could tell her and promise her not to tell anyone. Yes that was what Tanya was going to do. She'd tell her tonight.

"We'll speak later I'm going to be late", Tanya ran out the room and downstairs out the door.

Lauren smiled. She knew it would work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone who has read this story so far it means alot. This chapter is quite short but I just needed to find out Tanya's secret before I can mention anything else. Please review.**

"Babe pass the brown sauce"

"Ew dad, don't call me babe!", Lauren said disgusted with her dad's choice of words.

"I'm off to work. I'll see you later love you kid", Max said picking up his briefcase with one hand and his bacon buttie in the other and kissing Lauren on the head.

"I love you too dad", Lauren squirmed as her dad kissed her.

"Lauren will you take me to school?", A quiet Oscar asked whilst eating his cereal. Lauren sighed she forgot she had to take him to school. Lauren was never very affectionate towards Oscar. He had come as a surprise, six years ago and her often made Lauren jealous.

"Erhm I have ... things to do, why don't you run over to Sharon's and go to school with her and Dennis?", Lauren was far too busy with other things on her mind to take Oscar to school.

"You never take me to school any more Lauren", Oscar huffed and put his jacket on.

"See you later baby brother", Lauren smiled and closed the door behind him as he left to school.

Lauren sat down and made herself some cereal. Now what was she going to do today.

...

"No but dad there's something wrong with her. I don't know what but I am going to find out."Lauren sat opposite to her dad in the office of his car lot, trying to convince him something was really wrong.

"She's fine Lauren. I suppose she's stressed with her work and things and she's just being hormonal", Max sighed trying to get on with his work.

"Hormonal? Is she pregnant? DAD she can't be", Lauren began to panic.

"No calm down love. She's not pregnant she can't not ever since I got the op"

"The op?", Lauren asked confused but instantly regretting asking this.

"Well you see I can't have kids any more because I got this op where they..."

"DAD! No stop it", Lauren tried to cover her ears and her dad sat and laughed.

"Why don't you go and visit Cora? Go and build some bridges Lauren and let me get back to my work"

"Gran? She's not talking to me or mum ever since Ava. I suppose I can go and at least apologise, bye dad", Lauren skipped out of the office and made her way towards the laundrette where her gran worked.

...

Lauren opened the door of the laundrette and walked inside. Her and her gran had not spoke in weeks. Cora wasn't the normal grandmother. She drunk and smoked her way through life and was never responsible, she was a liability. Cora sat at the desk with her head in her hands and a glass of gin by her side.

"Gran?", Lauren asked walking up to Cora and tapping her.

Cora sat up and groaned when she saw Lauren peering at her.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I'm here to apologize. I should never have interfered I'm sorry"

"Yeah too right your never should have. Your a liar Lauren, just like your mother"

"Two things gran. One that was rude and disrespectful towards me and mum and two I'm here to say sorry, and your not making it any better. No one made me come and say sorry"

"Urgh Lauren just get out. I can't look at you just now. You ruined my whole life by bringing Ava back. Just get out. Your selfish, arrogant, rude and annoying", Cora downed the rest of her gin.

"Excuse me, I think the phrase pot kettle black comes into mind and I think you've already ruined your life enough by yourself. Well don't expect another apology from me again you hard faced cow. Yeah I might be selfish, useless and annoying but gran at least I know I am, what can be said for you", Lauren knocked the big washing basket of washed and folded clothes on to the floor and walked out smiling.

...

"Lauren ,Lauren!", Lauren turned as she heard the familiar voice behind her. It was Sharon. Her mum's best friend and almost like an auntie to her.

"Oscar got to school alright by the way. I took him with Dennis"

"Thank you, I would have took him there's just stuff going on at home just now", Lauren lied to make herself look better than she was, in reality she just couldn't be bothered taking Oscar to school.

"Yeah I know, your mum told me. You are so brave Lauren. After the bombshell you all got it's a wonder you've not completely lost it but im here for you darling"

Lauren stopped in her tracks. What on earth was she talking about? She had lied about there being problems at home. Then it hit her, mum's secret, she must have told Sharon. This infuriated Lauren. Why would she tell her friend instead of her own family. Blood was thicker than water. Lauren knew she had to play along to find out what was really happening.

"Sharon what exactly did mum tell you? It's just we all promised not to tell anyone", Lauren swallowed nervous to hear Sharon's answer.

"She never went into detail love, I promise I won't tell anyone. She just told me she was diagnosed with it yesterday. You know ... the cancer", Sharon put her arm on Lauren's shoulder.

Cancer?. CANCER?! Lauren could feel her eyes starting to blur and sting and a lump in her throat. Why the hell didn't her OWN mum tell her she had cancer.

"Erhm... ok ...thanks ...urhm Sharon... thanks for taking Oscar to school... erhm... i need to go ... bye", Lauren barely could string a sentence together and then ran away down the street trying not to cry.

**Chapter 3 - Who will Lauren turn to in her hour of need and can she confront Tanya about the secret she now knows about.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the follows and kind words, there is lots still to come!**

She reached the dark alley and stepped inside it. This is where she came to let all her emotions go. It was just Lauren's place to go, to let all her anger and emotions out without being judged. It was either this or drowning her sorrows in alcohol. Lauren put her back against the cold wall and slowly slid down until she was sat against it. She opened her eyes and began to cry to herself, breaking her heart and not knowing what to do. She was angry with her mum. She knew their was only one person to comfort her, help her through this. He never judged her or asked questions he just sat and listened to her. That's why she loved him so much. Still shaking, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialled his number and waiting for him to answer, wiping the tears from her face.

"Hello gorgeous", He said answering the phone and making Lauren give a faint smile.

"Joey, I need to see you. Are you free?", she said clearing her throat and pulling her hair behind her ears.

"Babe I'm sorry. I'm working all day. Are you ok? Do you want me to slack off?"

Lauren sighed, "No nothing important i'll see you tomorrow yeah?"

"Yeah of course just call me whenever you need me or to talk. I love you my beautiful Lauren"

Lauren smiled, "I love you too", and then she hung up the phone.

Sniffling and wiping the remaining tears onto her fluffy oversized jumper, she made her way out of the alley. The cold air hurt her puffy eyes as she tried to think of a place to go. She could always go and see her best friends Lucy and Whitney but again they were working so she couldn't annoy them.

"Lauren? What's wrong darling?", This was the worst possible moment for Tanya to have walked past.

"Mum. I'm fine just leave me alone", Lauren felt disgust looking at her. How could she be so selfish and keep this life changing secret to herself and not tell anyone else. Lauren didn't want to be with her just now let alone even speak to her.

"Lauren darling, what's wrong. You know you can tell me anything", Tanya stroked her hair and looked at her worrying what was wrong.

"Get off me!", Lauren grabbed Tanya's arms and pulled them off her "Your such a hypocrite do you know that"

Tanya stepped back, shocked at what Lauren had said and utterly confused at her daughters sudden outburst.

"Lauren wait. Don't go please just come with me", Tanya held her hand out but it was too late Lauren had ran off and Tanya knew what this meant, she was away to get absolutly wasted.

...

Lauren slowly unlocked her front door and stepped inside, barely able to put one foot infont of another. She had spent the last couple of hours trying to forget as much as possible but it was no use. The same word still haunted her, unable to leave her head. The word she had heard earlier from Sharon. "Cancer", such a short, simple word but filled with hate and fear. The most dreaded word to be heard ever. Lauren tried to numb the pain, just to escape for even an hour but she just couldn't. The more she drank the louder the little voice in her head became that said the word over and over again, almost as if it was taunting her. The house was dark and silent except from the soft glow of the television in the living room. Who was still up? It was four o'clock in the morning.

Stumbling over pieces of furniture in the hall, Lauren finally made her way to the entrance of the living room and peered in to see who was there. Tanya sat on the counch herself watching tv, and softly crying to herself. She must have waited for Lauren to come in. Lauren was still angry with her to and wasn't ready to hear her pety excuses about how she couldn't tell her.

"Why you still up?", Lauren asked toneless and not even looking at her mum.

"Oh, just watching tv. You're late. Have you been drinking?", Tanya turned around and looked at her with worry in her eyes.

"Yes I have mother, I had a drink or a few. I really do not care what you say nor anyone else because your opinion is invalid", Lauren closed her eyes and tried to stop herself from being sick.

"Oh are you so upset with me? I've done nothing but tried to be your mum. You can tell me anything love I don't like it when you keep anything from me"

"Oh my god! You are such a two faced hypocrite. Do you know what? Don't even speak to me until you take a look at yourself. I'm sure you've got a few skeletons in your wardrobe"

"I don't understand Lauren. What are you trying to say?"

"Oh don't play the innocent one. Oh little angelic Tanya who has has everything under the sun happen to her. Oh poor your mum. It's just a string of bad luck for you isn't it? And now it's cancer, oh poor you. I would be there for you but as you don't tell anyone anything we can't"

"Lauren I... I meant to tell you ... how did you find out?", the realisation that she caused Lauren's drinking hit Tanya and she began to cry.

"Oh quit the dramatic act mother. Sharon told me. I love how you can go to her but not even speak to me. Your such a hypocrite and you think you have the right to judge me. You are the reason I drink, the reason how Abi is probably sat up there petrified I'm going to drink myself to 's you and you alone, you do this to me and one day you will push me too far and I will be gone and never come back and that's a promise", Lauren stood shouting at Tanya.

Tanya stood up, her eyes filled with tears and made her way over to Lauren.

"Your drunk darling, you don't mean that. Just go to bed and we will speak tomorrow"

"I do mean it mum. I hate you!", Lauren stormed up the stairs leaving Tanya in the living room all alone.

Tanya sat and put her head in her hands. Not in a million of years had she even dreamed her daughter would say that to her and it was all Tanya's fault.

**chapter 4 - will lauren and tanya make up and how will Lauren react when she realises she has a secret of her own.**


	4. Chapter 4

**sorry I have took so long to update, school had taken up a lot of my time recently but I promise I'll update more regurlarly from now on**

Lauren's eyes opened as she felt herself going to be sick. This wasn't her usual hangover no something was different. She felt achy and lousy and was confused as she had never felt like this before. She stopped thinking about herself as she heard voices coming from the hallway. She couldn't face her parents. Not now and not anytime soon. Lauren closed her eyes and tried to make herself sleep.

"I'm fed up with her coming in late, waking us up, upsetting you and upsetting Abi"

"Max leave it. She's just upset. I can handle it. I'm not that upset"

"Tanya you came up to bed breaking your heart. No parent ever wants to be told by their child that they hate them", Max ran his finers through Tanya's wavy hair and kissed her on the forehead. He looked into her big blue eyes but could see nothing but pain and misery, he hated what Lauren was doing to her. He then picked up his briefcase and went out to work.

Tanya knocked on Lauren's door wary of what to expect and stepped inside. Lauren lay in her bed, still fully clothed. Her mascara was all down her cheeks and her eyes, red and puffy. She must have cried herself to sleep.

"Oh darling, wake up please", Tanya sat beside her and stroked her cheek. Maybe what she said last night was just pure anger and in the moment, maybe she didn't mean it afterall.

Lauren groaned and turned herself over so she was no longer facing Tanya. How could her dad blame Lauren for this. Maybe if he knew what her mum was keeping from him, things would be different but no, honesty was never the best policy in this household. Lauren felt alone. She had noone else to turn to even Joey was busy. Lauren didn't want to leave her bed. That meant she would have to face reality again and pretend to everyone things were fine when they clearly weren't. Then something would happen just as it always did and that would trigger Lauren off, making her go and get drunk once again. It was like a cycle and Lauren knew if she got up it would just happen again. The word "cancer" still captured her every thought and not making her able to escape.

"Lauren please. Talk to me. We can discuss this. We can have a girly day, you know like we used to, keep our pyjamas on and watch chic flicks all day. What do you say love?", Tanya tried speaking to her and tried to get her to open up to her"

Lauren turned around, her big brown eyes heavy and almost as if noone was there, just an empty canvass.

"Mum. I'm sorry", Lauren whispered this, letting tears freely fall from her eyes and onto her bed sheets.

"I know you are. I'm sorry too. I should have been straight with you, all of you. I just thought if I could not think about it, if I could push it away to the back of my brain it would just dissappear. But it's not like that is it. I need to face this head on and I need the support of my strong daughter", Tanya pulled her in for a hug and cradled her in her arms, like she used to do when Lauren was a little girl. She inhaled the smell of her hair, like she done when Lauren was younger and used to hug her all the time.

"Mum... Your not going to die are you? You can't!", Lauren burried her head deeper into Tanyas shoulder, like she done when she was a little girl. She thought that her mum could protect her from everything and anything. But now it was her turn to protect her mum and help her through this.

"Oh darling. Don't think like that. Of course I won't die. I am a Cross and a Branning, we are fighters and I, we can fight this horrible diease together. I'm going to tell your dad in my own time. Now what do you say to our day in the house?"

"I would love to mum but I can't. I'm meeting up with Joey. Maybe tomorrow yeah?"

"Oh the mysterious will we meet him?", Tanya said smiling and wiping her tears away.

"When I'm ready to let him meet you all. I need to prepare him from our mental family"

"Oi cheeky. We aren't that bad", Tanya said laughing and pretending to hit Lauren

"Yeah right!, Mum who's Derek? I heard dad and auntie Carol talking about him?", Lauren asked curiously.

Tanya rolled her eyes, obviouslly unimpressed Lauren had asked that.

"He's your uncle. Your dad, Jack, Suzie and Carol's older brother. He's a but of a odd one him. Never liked me. I think he's coming to visit sometime soon. He's just out of prison you know that's why you've never met him. I think he's bringing his kids to meet you all so make them welcome"

"Oh god more cousins. Well mother as much as I love our little chats I have a boyfriend to go and meet. I need to go and get ready, I'll see you later"

...

Lauren, still feeling lousy and sore, made her way into the chemist. She still had plenty of time to spare before she was meeting Joey for lunch at the restaurant across the road. Sweat dripped from Lauren's forehead as she knew it was a possibility but didn't know if she was ready to face the truth. She chewed the ends of her hair, nervously as she wondered what was the best one to choose. After minutes of contemplating, Lauren picked a random one, bought it and made her way over to the restaurant.

...

"Cancer? Oh my god you poor thing babe. If you need anything I'm here for you", Joey put his hands on Lauren's and smiled at her. Lauren knew she could trust Joey with this secret, he wouldn't tell anyone.

"Thanks Joey. I don't know what to do or say. She's so scared and upset and I can't comfort her because I don't know how she feels. So hows you and your dad then?

"Well we met like last week and he's alright but I'm still keeping my mums second name. Me and Alice are going to live with him, you know after mum died. I've not met any of the other family yet"

"Oh well thats progress isn't it?", Lauren ran her fingers through Joey's short brown hair and hugged him tight. She could feel he was the one. She just knew it. There was something about his cheeky charm and his hilarious sense of humour that made Lauren weak at the knees. Even saying his name made her smile and go off into a daydream. It was almost as if it was too good to be true.

"Do you want a drink babe?", Joey asked as the waitor approached.

"Just a glass of water please", Lauren smiled at him, knowing she couldn't have anything stronger.

"Oh check you no wine then?"

"No. I'm not feeling to good. Excuse me two minutes while I just pop to the little girls room", Lauren grabbed his cheek and smiled at him as she picked up her bag and made her way to the toilet.

"Deep breaths Lauren, deep breaths", Lauren said to herself over and over again. It was now time to face the truth.

Lauren sat on the toilet counting the squares on the ceiling and sighed to herself. It was taking what felt like for ever.

**next chapter: how will abi and max react to Tanya's news and how will Lauren manage to cope with some new family members she meets.**


End file.
